Guard-rail clamp



E. C. ZIMMERMAN.

GUARD RAIL CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.24. 1920.

Patented May 30, 1922.

Fig-5 [NVZNTfiRJ Emil Carlzlmmerman tr es,

EMIL can-r. znvnvmmran, on NEW YORK, N. Y., assrenon 'ro o a 0 company, on NEW YORK, it. 51., A CORPORATION or Marnie.

GUARD-BAIL CLAMP.

i areas-o.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented llfay 30, 1922.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EMTL CARL ZIMMER- Manna citizen of the lllnitedfitates residing at New York city, in the county of New York and'State of New York, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Guard- Rail Clamps of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates, to improvements in guard rail clamps'and consists of a novel arrangement and construction of the parts adapted to possess important advantages over the types of clamps as heretofore used. My improved clamp is of an improved design which eliminates the necessity'of employing the usual spacer blocks interposed between the rails and in consequence effects a desirable reduction in the number of parts and simplifies the installation thereof. The device of my invention is furthermore of very substamtial construction adapting it for successfully resisting the thrusts and pounding of heavy traffic without danger of displacement from its effective position and moreover is of animproved design whereby the clamping yoke thereof will be retained in effective position independent of the securing means. I

A11 important and valuable feature of my present invention resides in the provision of a shoulder or lug upon the upper or rail bearing surface of the yoke member positioned to be engaged by one of the rails preferably the guard rail, and adapted to cooperate with the. yoke and tightening wedge member in effecting the clamping of the rail in proper position and in the: correlation therewith of a second tightening or spacing wedge arranged to engage the opposite end of the, yoke and the other of the rails in a manner whereby the respective track rail and guard rail may be prop-- erly spaced to maintain the usual clearance of 1% therebetween. My improved construction further permits of effecting adjust ment of the clearance between the rails as desired and to compensate for wear on the rail heads. An additional important fea ture thereof consists in the arrangement and correlation of the several parts whereby. when assembled they will be self-sustained in effective position with the yoke member thereof properly supported to resist the lat.

eral strains irrespective of whether or not the clamp is fully tightened up, from which it follows that not only is the effectiveness of the clamp maintained but the assembling of the device in operative position is materially simplified for it isn-ot necessary to manually support the yoke member during the tightening operation. The described and other features and advantages of my'present invention are shown in the accompanying drawing wherein like reference characters are applied to the corresponding parts of the several views. 7

In the drawing I I Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view illustrating my improved guard rail clamp as installed. 1

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof showing the rails in horizontal cross section on line 1 1 ofpFig.2.. I

Fig. 3 is a partial view thereof'showing' a suitable modified form in elevation.

Fig. 4 is a detailed view of the shoulder member in side elevation and a v Fig. '5 is a view similar to Fig. 3, illustrating a further modified construction.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention as illustrated in'Figs. 1 and 2 the numeral 1 designates the guardrail to be secured or attached to the usual track rail 2 by means of the clamping'yoke member 3.

An important feature of my present invention consists in the means employed for coacting with the yoke 3 to clamp the guard rail in position which, in accordance with my improved construction, is accomplished without attaching the yoke to either of the rails. The means provided therefor consists of suitable wedge members adapted to engage inner inclined surfaces t and 5- formed on the yoke 3 at the upwardly positioned inwardly turned end portions thereof. The wedge members-or wedging shoesconsist of a wedge member 6 provided at its outer side with an inclined wall or surface -7 adapted to engage the inclined-surface 4 of the yoke with a wedging action. The wedge 6 as shown is interposed between the end of the yoke or surface 4 thereof and the track rail 2 so as to act as a spacing wedgetherbe tween. As will be'noted adjustment or movement of the wedge member 6 longitudinally of the rail will varythe spacing or distance between the yoke end or surface 4; and the track rail and corresponding determine the position of the yoke in the plane at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the'rail. For the purpose of securing the wedge member 6 and retaining it in adjusted position the wedge member 6 is provided at its lower portion with an outwardly eX- tending flange 8 formed integrally thereon and positioned to underlie the inwardly curved end portion of the yoke member 3. As best indicated in Fig. 2 the flange portion or ledge 8 is provided with a longitudinal series of apertures 9 therein adapted to receive a securing pin or bolt 21 arrangedl when positioned in said apertures to prevent longitudinal movement of the wedge member in the direction to withdraw it from clamping position.

A similarly formed spacing or tightening wedge member 10 is as showninterposcd be tween the opposite end of the yoke and the guard rail 1 and is formed with a longitudinally extending inclined wall or wedglng surface 11 positioned to engagethe inner inclined surface 5 of the yoke end. The wedge member 10 has integrally formed thereon a ledge 8 arranged to underlie the end portion of the yoke and is provided with a longitudinal series of pin apertures 12 adapted to receive therein a locking pin 21 whereby it is secured in position against longitudinal. displacement by the engagement of the pin with the side of the yoke.

An important and valuable feature of the] present invention consists in an improve-v ment adapted to eliminate the necessity of employing the usual spacing blocks interposed between the respective rails for the purpose of determining thedistance therebetween. For this purpose the guard rail is clamped in fixed relation to the yoke member 3 by clamping of the rail between. shoulders of theyoke by the action of the wedge member 10. In accordance therewith I have formed the yoke member 8 with an integral shoulder 15 upwardly projecting from the rail bearing surface of the yoke as shown and arranged between the respective rails. It is so arranged that the guard rail shall bear thereagainst and be clamped thereto by means of the wedging member 10, the latter having its inclinedwall 11 engaging the inwardly directed coacting inclined surface 5 of the yoke member. As will be readily understood upon tightening up of the wedge member the yoke and guard rail will be rigidly clamped together. The lug 15 is of a form to be non-projecting over the rail flanges thereby to allow of the yoke being assembled with the tracks spiked in proper position on the ties. I

Wih the guard rail and clamping yoke 3 attached or secured together in the manner described the'clamping thereof tothe main track rail 2 is effected by inserting or driving in of the Wedge member 6 between the track rail and clamp end as indicated andthe securing thereof by means of the securing pin 21. In the latter operation the rela tive spacing of the respective rails is determined by the positioning of the wedge member 6 so as to adjust the spacing as required. A possible adjustment is illustrated by the dotted line 2 of Figure 1. When so positioned the clamping yokewill be operative to withstand and oppose thrusts tending to separate the rails and as will be understood the usual spikes employed in securing the rails will secure the rails in position and againstmovement toward one another. It

will be noted that this construction readily permits of the wedge member Gbeingtight ened up or. moved longitudinally to minutely adjust the relative spacing of the rails and to compensate for wear thereon.

I have thus produced a guard rail clamping device having a reduced number of parts and which is, particularly strong and advantageous from a constructional standpoint. i

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the parts may be formed so that in proper assembling, the

wedge members 6 and 10 are driven into tightening position from. opposite directions and desirably in installation the wedge member 6 engaging the track railmay be driven in in the direction of normaltraflic whereby the tendency thereof will be to tighten up in use. Where the traflic is in the opposite direction the clamping yoke 3 may be formed whereby the wedge 6 may enter from the opposite side as indicated in the dot and dash lines of Fig. 2. As a further constructional feature the wedge members 6 and 10 as here shown may be formed with projecting shoulders or lugs 16 to have point contact with the rails thereby permitting of a lighter construction.

l/Vhile I have described and shown an ap proved embodiment ofthe'several features of my invention it will be understood that variousmodifications may be made therein without departing from the scope thereof. Eeginstance, in Figs. 3 and at I have shown a suitable modification wherein the clamping shoulder on the upper rail bearing surface of the yoke member 3 is formed as a separable shoulder member 16 fitted'within a suitable depression 17 formed inthe yoke and provided at its opposite ends with downconsists in the desirable arrangement whereby the wedge members 6 and 10 are provided with the ledges 8 and 8 which underlie the respective ends of the yoke member. As a result thereof upon loosely assembling the parts the yoke will be properly supported in eifective alignment with the rails so that preparatory to tightening of the clamp the yoke is properly positioned so that the clamping is effected by merely driving in the wedge and it is not necessary to otherwise support the yoke during the tight ening operation. It will be further noted that a further advantage is that in the event of either of the wedges becoming loosened the yoke will be maintained in elfective clamping position and is supported from dro ping down at either end.

aving described my invention I claim 1. A rail clamp comprising a clamp bar or yoke member having inwardly directed end portions and a shoulder formed thereon upwardly projecting from its upper or rail engaging surface intermediate of said end portions, a wedge member formed with a rail engaging portion and an inclined wedging surface adapted to be interposed between one end of the yokeand a rail for clamping the rail against said shoulder and means for securing said wedge member in assembled position, said shoulder being of substantially the height of the rail base and non-projecting thereover, substantially as described.

2. A rail clamp comprising a clamp bar or yoke member having inwardly directed .end portions and an integral shoulder securing said wedge member in assembled position and said wedge member being formed at its lower edge with an outwardly projecting ledge portion adapted to underlie the end portion of the yoke members, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

EMIL CARL ZIMMERMAN. 

